Abstract:
Anaemia has been a problem in developed and developing countries. It has negative effects on both
mother and fetus. Anaemia increases the risks of complication in pregnancy and the process of
delivery such as maternal death, prematurity, underweight birth, and perinatal death. This study was
aimed to assess anaemia prevalence and to determine its factors in pregnant women. A crosssectional
survey was conducted from April to September 2014. The samples were 64 pregnant women
who were anaemic and attended the antenatal-care facilities of Public Health Centre in Pekanbaru
Indonesia. Accidental sampling technique was used. A single stool sample was also collected from
each selected pregnant woman. Haemoglobin (Hb) level was determined by the cyanmethemoglobin
method. The data were analized by descriptive analysis method. The prevalence of moderate
anaemia was 81.3%. The highest risk factors of anaemia were based on (1) the characteristics of
respondents: age of 20-35 years (73.4%), Minangnese (42.2%), house wife (92.2%), senior-highschool
educated (46.9%), and 2-million-per-month income (75%); (2) the characteristics of
pregnancy: multiparity (71,9%), third trimester of gestation (59.4%), > 2 years birth interval (43.8%),
and antenatal-clinic visit less than 4 times (75%); and (3) consumption patterns: no food taboos
(76.6%), no drinking tea (79.1%), and drinking coffee (67.2%). However, 15 respondents had food
taboos (23,4%), and the highest taboo food was fish (9.36%); 21.9% of the respondents drank tea, and
67.2% of them drank coffee during pregnancy. The high prevalence of anaemia indicates that it is
currently a serious health problem of pregnant women in Pekanbaru. The pregnant women should
have more antenatal care to check and monitor their pregnancy condition and to get more education
on food consumption.
